Carrie Fisher pushes mental health
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Actress and author Carrie Fisher stood at a podium in the Statehouse's ornate north atrium and posed an unusual question to a crowd of sign-waving Hoosiers.

Mass. allows teachers to restrain students
MALDEN, Mass. -- Public school teachers with the proper training will be allowed to physically restrain unruly students under new guidelines approved Tuesday by the state Board of Education.

Clean Air Act survives industry challenge
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The nation's premier environmental law withstood a major industry challenge Tuesday as the Supreme Court upheld the way the government sets air-quality standards under the Clean Air Act.

Bush addresses Congress on budget
WASHINGTON -- President Bush beckoned a divided Congress Tuesday night to support a large and retroactive tax cut, declaring in a nationally televised address, ''The people of America have been overcharged and on their behalf, I am here to ask for a refund.''

Families return after killer tornado
PONTOTOC, Miss. -- Moments before a killer tornado knifed through this small community, the howling winds and lightning that usually herald trouble made Loyd Berry's wife wonder why she hadn't heard the town siren.

Maureen Reagan seen upbeat in cancer battle
SANTA MONICA, Calif. -- Maureen Reagan, the 60-year-old daughter of the former president, appeared upbeat Tuesday as she faced another series of treatments in a battle against cancer that has kept her hospitalized for nearly three months.

Court won't hear doctors' challenge of abortion issue
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Supreme Court, allowing new state restrictions on abortion on Monday, let stand a 27-page book of regulations for South Carolina abortion clinics that doctors there characterized as an attempt to undermine abortion rights.

New Orleans parties hard on Mardi Gras
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- An estimated million or more people jammed the city's streets on Mardi Gras for the Big Easy's raucous, libidinous, alcohol-fueled celebration.

Former DNC official refuses to testify in pardons probe
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Democratic Party's former finance director, invoking Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination, refused Monday to testify before a House committee investigating President Clinton's pardon of fugitive financier Marc Rich.

Father of suspect in vehicle rampage expresses sorrow
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- Speaking out shortly after his son's first court appearance on murder charges, TV and film director Daniel Attias expressed his family's sorrow Tuesday for the carnage wrought Friday when David Attias careened his Saab into a crowd of strolling students, killing four people and critically injuring another.

White House pushes Bush budget proposal
WASHINGTON -- The White House billed President Bush's spending and tax cut proposals as ''a blueprint for new beginnings.'' The administration intensified its effort on Monday to sell its forthcoming budget by striking a centrist tone.

VA secretary pledges to improve health benefits
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Veterans Affairs Secretary Anthony Principi on Tuesday renewed his promise to restore the faith of veterans in their health care system, a top concern among those who have served in the military.

U.S. faults security forces of both sides
WASHINGTON -- The State Department faulted both Israel and the Palestinians for Middle East bloodshed on Monday as Secretary of State Colin Powell wound up a Mideast tour appealing for an end to violence.

Tapes give no clue to deadly plane crash
OKLAHOMA CITY -- The final conversations between air traffic controllers and the crew of a plane carrying members of the Oklahoma State basketball team provides no explanation for why the plane crashed, killing all 10 on board.

Beaches
Beware the Ides of March! Will March come in like a lion or a lamb?

Northwest
It was a pleasure to be invited to see first hand a new club in action at Bartram Trail High School called Best Buddies.

North Beaches
We hope you all had a nice Valentine's Day. We had been asked by the Giannettas to share the following with you last week, but due to receiving the excerpt on Thursday (past our deadline) and the space limitations, we were unable to oblige them.

Lincolnville
I'm often reminded of how closely people, even children, read these articles. Kat Twine called to let me know that her grand-nephew was hurt because I neglected to mention that he was at the recent tree-planting at Twine Park, honoring the late Vice Mayor Henry Twine, Kat's husband.

West Augustine
Today is Mardi Gras, literally ''Fat Tuesday,'' the last day before Lent, which starts on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 28. New Orleans is famous for its Mardi Gras parade, one last fling before Lent, when traditionally we give up something as a penance.

Palm Valley
By all appearances, spring is finally here. According to the Farmers' Almanac, we've past the niche when our last (normal) freeze would and should have occurred.

The South
If you have been looking for some things to spruce up your lawn or garden, be sure and check out the St. Augustine Shores Geranium Circle Garden Club's plant sale Saturday in the Shores. The club will host the plant sale from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Shores Fire Station, which is located off of Shores Boulevard.

Hastings
It's wonderful to see some very positive projects going on in the Hastings area. One of the most impressive is the development of a 40-acre equestrian complex at the eastern edge of town on Smith Road. Erection of a large sign and a post and board fence along the front of the property took place two weeks ago.

Downtown
Taryn Rodriguez-Boette, executive director of the St. Augustine Historical Society, is doing a wonderful job of getting local people involved with various programs.

Sifting through history
On first glance, it is nothing more than a desolate field overlooking the Matanzas River. Barren, covered in winter-burned grass and in every way unspectacular, the plot of land at the Fountain of Youth seems better suited for a youth soccer field than a site of anything historic.

Burglaries and thefts
- Two pearl necklaces, a pair of pearl earrings, an emerald earring set, three rings, a bracelet, a watch, two cameras, a camcorder and a credit card were stolen from two rooms at a motel at State Road 207 and Interstate 95 Monday. Total value stolen: $3,130.

City to spruce up Casa del Hidalgo
St. Augustine city commissioners decided Monday to spend up to $1,000 to fix up the rundown Casa del Hidalgo, a Spanish government building at St. George and Hypolita streets.

Burn ban in effect for St. Johns County
In a move to ease lingering drought and wildfire threats, Florida's agriculture commissioner has included St. Johns County in a list of 39 counties prohibited from outdoor burning.

Co-owner of pub reported missing
Jacksonville Sheriff's Office investigators are looking into the disappearance of a co-owner of Murphy's Pour House in St. Augustine, as family members distribute fliers bearing his name and picture.

Correction
In a story on the Marist Laity published in Saturday's Family Life section Ann Algreen was incorrectly listed as one of those who professed.

Gordy leaves board
St. Johns County School Board member Joe Gordy resigned Tuesday, attributing the decision to an unexpected promotion at Flagler Hospital.

Local Guard to help fight wildfires
With orders to help Division of Forestry officials suppress fires in Central Florida, Florida National Guard members in St. Augustine are in the midst of training for duty.

Auto theft arrest
A 38-year-old Maryland man was arrested on charges of grand theft auto and giving false identification early Monday morning, according to the Sheriff's Office.

Stricter leash law in effect
In an effort to stop dogs from running wild on beaches, the County Commission passed a law Tuesday requiring pet owners to use leashes throughout the county.

Burglary charges
A man and woman were arrested on burglary charges early Monday morning after a deputy found them trying to hide in sawgrass near a State Road 13 business, according to the Sheriff's Office.

John Charlesworth
Memorial services for John (Jack) Charlesworth Jr., 85, St. Augustine, who died Feb. 22, 2001, at Mariner Health Care, will be held at 11 a.m. today at Memorial Presbyterian Church, with Dr. John Hunter, pastor, officiating.

Rosa McCormick
Rosa McCormick, 82, Hastings, died Feb. 25, 2001, at Flagler Hospital, following a long illness. Arrangements will be announced by Coleman's Mortuary, Hastings.

John Charlesworth
Memorial services for John (Jack) Charlesworth Jr., 85, St. Augustine, who died Feb. 22, 2001, at Mariner Health Care, will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Memorial Presbyterian Church, with Dr. John Hunter, pastor, officiating.

Arthur Bryant
Arthur Bryant, 96, Hastings, died Feb. 23, 2001, at Flagler Hospital, following a long illness. Arrangements will be announced by Coleman's Mortuary, Hastings.

Presidential relatives seduced by U.S. White House envy
On a suffocatingly hot July evening in Plains, Ga., I stood sweaty and dirty around the backstop of a softball field. It was the end of another lop-sided defeat at the hands of President Jimmy Carter's squad, a team of Secret Service agents and military aides who I suspected had played pro baseball.

Governors are happy campers
WASHINGTON -- The nation's governors have been hanging out in Washington, but to hear them talk, you would have thought they were in the Promised Land. Back home, some of them face energy crises and worries over an economic slump, and almost all are in the mud-wrestling stage of their legislative sessions. But in the capital for four days of conversations with the newly installed Bush administration, the members of the National Governors' Association were celebrating as if they didn't have a care in the world.

Reach out to thank volunteers
March 1 is the 40th anniversary of the creation of the Peace Corps. Chances are you know someone who served during those last four decades. Perhaps, as with me, it is your own son or daughter.

Letter: Thinks paintball game was appalling
Is it any wonder that our kids go in and shoot up their schools and classmates when we have a law enforcement agency, (St. Johns County Youth Resources), play a ''game'' with our school children of hunting down and shooting people. What a great way to teach them the ''thrill'' of ''taking out someone.''

Texas sayings colorful
A friend in Texas has shared some Texas sayings, and I'm happy to pass them along. The most colorful and creative use of the language always comes from the common folks, though Will Shakespeare and Charles Dickens have contributed their share.

Letter: Customer likes dealing with live people
I have just come back from trying to make a deposit at my bank. After waiting in line outside 15 minutes for the one and only drive-in teller to take care of one person, I pulled out of line and went inside. This didn't work either, as there was a long line in there for the one and only teller inside. I am not the only person who left, and I am usually a very patient person, but enough is enough!

Church league to start next month
Beginning March 24, men's church basketball action tips off. Entries to the league are limited to the first six teams, with cost for the 10-game schedule set at $245 for squad. The top two teams will play for the title at the end of the season. For more information, call Rob McGee at 794-2403, or Grady Fischer 826-4384.

Park wins for Earnhardt team
ROCKINGHAM, N.C. -- Paint Steve Park's car black, slap a No. 3 on it, and that could've been Dale Earnhardt out there banging fenders and heading for victory in the last lap of the Dura Lube 400.

Blues' Pronger undergoes surgery
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Blues defenseman Chris Pronger, last year's MVP, underwent successful surgery Tuesday to repair a broken left forearm that will keep him sidelined for the rest of the regular season.

Salary cap casualties: Jags cut 5; more on way
JACKSONVILLE (AP) -- The Jacksonville Jaguars trimmed more of their inflated salary cap Tuesday by releasing defensive end Joel Smeenge, wide receiver Reggie Barlow and three other players.

She's on top of her game
he picked up her final foul in the game's waning seconds and staggered to the bench feeling somehow as if she'd let her team down. Good players tend to absorb the blame a little harder than most, and Brittney Garmon is no exception.

St. Augustine Little League tryouts
Tryouts for the St. Augustine Little League will be held Saturday, March 10 at 9 a.m. The event will be held at the Little League Complex on Osceola Road. For more information, call Curt Strassell at 825-0323.

Player's memorial to be held Thursday
TALLAHASSEE -- An autopsy Tuesday on Florida State linebacker Devaughn Darling was inconclusive and investigators say it may be weeks before the medical examiner knows the cause of death.

St. Joseph softball team blasts Peniel
Erin Barber and Lauren Grabowski had five hits and scored five runs, and Betsy Pellicer went 4 for 5 with five RBIs as the St. Joseph Academy softball team rocked Peniel 26-0 on Monday in a game shortened to five innings due to the mercy rule.

AP voters all agree: Cardinal is No. 1
Stanford, the only Division I team with fewer than three losses, was a unanimous No. 1 in The Associated Press college basketball poll for the second time this season.

SAHS beats Keystone
Patrick Pacetti had a pair of doubles and four RBIs to lead the St. Augustine baseball team to a 10-6 triumph over Keystone Heights on Monday night. Dusty Furnal, Dan Hamilton and Will Pecora added two hits each for the Yellow Jackets. Luke Paulson (1-1) picked up the win.

Menendez wins
Derrick Allen went 4 for 5 with a double, home run and four RBIs as the Pedro Menendez baseball team crushed Lee 15-1 on Tuesday night. Brian Wilkinson (3 for 4, two doubles) and Chris Fischer (3 for 3) also paced the Falcons (3-3) at the plate. Greg Keller tossed six innings with nine strikeouts to pick up the win.

Ewing set for return to Garden
NEW YORK -- Patrick Ewing's most cherished Madison Square Garden moment came in 1994 when he finally led the Knicks to the NBA finals.

Challenger League tryouts
The St. Augustine Little League is also accepting applications for the Challenger League Baseball. The league is open for those ages 5 through 16. For more information, call Ron Brown at 824-9032.

Some drivers try new safety gear
ROCKINGHAM, N.C. -- While issues concerning the HANS device are still being ironed out among drivers, a handful of them experimented with alternative safety gear at North Carolina Speedway.

Section of I-4 reopens
POLK CITY -- Firefighters won a major battle against wildfires Tuesday as a section of Interstate 4 opened to traffic for the first time in 10 days.

Cuban boxer in Miami after fleeing Germany
MIAMI -- A Cuban world champion boxer reportedly seeking to evade German tax authorities is in Florida and probably will be allowed to remain in the United States, immigration officials said Tuesday.

I-4 likely will reopen today
POLK CITY -- Two fires burning almost 10,500 acres will keep a section of Interstate 4 closed until this morning at the earliest, a fire official said.

Bishop being chosen for Fla. Methodists
LAKELAND -- The process of selecting a permanent bishop to lead Florida's 340,000 Methodists began Monday with a special conference to review eight candidates for the post.

State weighs power deregulation
TALLAHASSEE (AP) -- Computers are just about everywhere these days. Go into an elementary school classroom and you'll see them. Ask a receptionist to change your doctor's appointment, she'll do it on a PC.

Task force completes election suggestions
TALLAHASSEE -- Florida should have a uniform voting system by the 2002 election that's ''user-friendly'' and has a low voter error rate, a state task force recommended to lawmakers and Gov. Jeb Bush.

Worst drought in 200 years subject of meeting
TAMPA (AP) -- Florida's worst drought in 200 years has increased wildfire threats, affected cattle reproduction and even cracked home foundations, Gov. Jeb Bush was told Tuesday during a meeting on the crisis.

Suwannee River has nitrate problems
GAINESVILLE -- Rising nitrate levels along North Florida's famous Suwannee River are prompting concerns about the effects on the environment and public health.

One dead as boat and ferry collide off Naples
MARCO ISLAND -- A ferry carrying 120 passengers and crew collided in heavy fog with a smaller boat about 13 miles off Marco Island early Monday, killing one person and injuring two, one seriously, authorities said.

Florida Methodists select new leader
LAKELAND (AP) -- A write-in candidate who said he was not interested in seeking the position was selected Tuesday as permanent bishop to lead Florida's 340,000 Methodists.

Powell says troops to stay in Balkans
BRUSSELS, Belgium -- Secretary of State Colin Powell pledged the Bush administration will stay the course with peacekeepers in the restive Balkans, where more than 9,000 U.S. troops patrol Bosnia and Kosovo.

U.S. attempts to mend its ties with Japan
TOKYO -- In Washington's latest move to soothe Japanese anger over the sinking of a fishing boat by a U.S. submarine, a Navy admiral on Tuesday delivered an apology from President Bush and prepared to meet with the families of the missing.

Survivors give horrifying account of massacre
PARENGGEAN, Indonesia -- They had been lured out of hiding in the jungle by government promises of safety. Then Dayak fighters drove away their police escort, trucked them to a soccer field and massacred them, beheading six and hacking 112 to death with machetes, spears and knives.

Powell likely to suggest easing sanctions on Iraq
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) -- Based on soundings in the Arab world, Secretary of State Colin Powell is preparing to recommend that curbs on exporting civilian goods to Iraq be eased but tight controls be maintained on weapons materiel, a senior U.S. official said Monday.

Palestinian dies when tank shell hits home
JERUSALEM -- A Palestinian man was killed when a tank shell hit his house, a Palestinian boy was shot in the head and three Israeli workers were wounded in an ambush Tuesday in separate incidents in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

A miracle
TORONTO (AP) -- Calling her recovery miraculous, doctors said Monday a 13-month-old girl who spent hours lying face down in the snow on a bitter winter night and whose body temperature plunged to about 60 degrees was now alert and smiling.

'Frozen' toddler in regular room
TORONTO (AP) -- A 13-month-old girl whose body was partially frozen and heart had stopped during a winter's night outside was playful and talking Tuesday and was moved out of intensive care, officials at the hospital said.

World population boom seen over next 50 years
UNITED NATIONS -- The world's population -- already more than double what it was in 1950 -- is projected to boom by another 3 billion in the next half-century, with Africa and Asia dwarfing Europe, even with the staggering toll of AIDS, a new U.N. study says.